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Comedian Billy Gardell on marriage and other weighty issues

By: Michael Grossberg

The Columbus Dispatch - June 25, 2011 07:58 AM

Comedian Billy Gardell tackles big issues - from marriage to his own weight.
And yes, he does identify with the overweight character he plays as the costar of the CBS Monday night sitcom Mike & Molly.

(Caption: Comedian Billy Gardell. File photo)

Despite his busy TV schedule, the actor-comedian has taken his stand-up act on the road to rant about modern life from parenting to technology overload.
Gardell, 41, will appear Saturday June 25 at the Riffe Center’s Capitol Theatre,
He spoke recently about his burgeoning career for a Dispatch Life feature, but some of the most interesting questions and answers didn't make it into print...

So here's the rest of the interview, starting with some questions that didn't appear on the Life cover this week.

Q: Have you visited Columbus before?
A: Yes, I performed five or six times at the (Columbus) Funny Bone. The last time was about a year before all this craziness happened in 2009... Dave Stroupe (the owner) is a great guy. It will be nice to come through his town again, and we’ll involve them in helping to promote (the tour).

Q: You began your TV-acting career with appearances on a variety of TV shows, from The King of Queens and My Name is Earl to Heist and Yes, Dear. How did those experiences help prepare you for a regular leading role?
A: I’m constantly learning as we go. Being in the center of a show is something I never thought would happen. I always thought I’d be the buddy or neighbor or bad guy.
I’m friends with the entire cast. That comes from folks having success at 40 who already have family and a career. They’re grounded. When you’re 40, you’re not as apt to take it for granted.

Q: After appearing in several movies – including Bad Santa (with Billy Bob Thornton), You, Me, and Dupree (with Owen Wilson) and Avenging Angelo (with Sylvester Stallone and Anthony Quinn) – what kind of film career do you want?
A: I do have a desire to do more films and I hope it will happen eventually. But this summer is all about my tour. I want people to know that Mike of Mike & Molly is also a stand-up.

Q: Making a movie is different from making a weekly TV show. Which do you prefer?
This is probably my favorite job. The difference with film is it’s a different way of acting. There’s no audience there, and it’s a little smaller. But on a sitcom, you have a chance to be a little bigger and you have a live audience.

Q: What subjects get your sense of humor going these days?
A: Same as always: Being a father, being a husband, paying taxes.

Q: What other subjects will you explore in Columbus?
A: Coming from a working-class background, growing up with some tough love, which wasn’t all bad – contrary to popular belief today. My act basically revolves around going from crazy and young to being a mature man.
Most of my stories come from being in the working class growing up and now having a family of my own.

Q: What lessons has marriage taught you?
A: I’ve learned you need to shut up when you’re married. I’ve learned that you’re never right and it’s easier to do something you want done than ask someone else to do it.

Q: Growing up, how did your sense of humor develop?
A: Like a lot of comics, my humor came around through home and divorce with a lot of stepfathers. We moved around. Humor gave me a way to fit in at school and defuse some of that angst.

Q: You’re still committed to touring despite your recent TV success. Why?
A: It’s my first love. And it’s a sickness that won’t leave me. It just is. You think you can put it down, but if you’re truly a stand-up comic, you can’t get away from it. There’s something about you and the audience. Whatever that dance is, it doesn’t leave your blood.

Q: How close is your Mike & Molly role of Mike Biggs to you in real life?
A: It’s close. His heart is in the right place, and I like to think mine is. I think he’s a little nicer and more tolerant than me, and I’m trying to convey those things into my life.

Q: Weight is a big issue for Biggs, a police officer eager to shed some pounds who meets fourth-grade-teacher Molly Flynn at Overeaters Anonymous. Has playing Biggs affected your struggle with weight?
A: I have not gone to Overeaters Anonymous, but it’s certainly opened my eyes to some of the things that make us eat like crazy... It’s made me look at it more honestly. Maybe I don’t joke as much about weight as much as I used to. I have learned to take myself as I am, with less self-deprecating humor, and I hope to take the journey to lose some weight.

Q: After playing guest roles and supporting roles for years on television, how does it feel to star in your own sitcom?
A: I worked my whole life for it, so I’m just grateful to have the job. The hardest thing is memorizing all the dialogue, but it’s a labor of love.

Q: What’s the most fun about being in a sitcom?
A: When you really get the audience to either care or laugh. Every Wednesday, we tape before a live audience. I think it’s crucial for a sitcom. You and your team go out there and try to make ‘em laugh, maybe tear up and laugh again. You need the reaction of that audience.

Q: How has TV fame affected your comedy tours?
A: It’s everything. It’s making my standup show sell out. It’s afforded the feeling that the rent is paid for my family. My wife and I have been married 10 years and have a seven-year-old boy, Will. If we can keep it going, it can put our kid through college. It’s an answer to a lot of prayers.

Q: What comedians did you most admire growing up?
A: In stand-up, George Carlin and Richard Pryor. On TV, Jackie Gleason. My dad turned me on to The Honeymooners. In my teen years, I always loved what John Candy did.

Q: What comedians do you most respect today?
A: My peers. I love Steve Burn, Nick Griffin and Bill Burr.

Q: How has your comedy evolved?
A: When I was angry, I wrote about angry stuff. When I had a kid, I wrote about a kid. I think the best comics always permeate what’s going on their lives. I’m definitely more honest today. Way more. I can talk about fears and anxieties because you’re more secure in terms of who you are.

IF YOU GO
Billy Gardell will perform his stand-up act at 7 p.m. Saturday June 25 at the Riffe Center’s Capitol Theatre, 77 S. High St.
Tickets cost $32.50 at Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com)